1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tobacco plug cutters and loaders and is more particularly related to a novel plug loader adapted to separate a desired amount of tobacco from bulk storage and conveniently hold and convey the selected amount to the mouth of the user.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is the conventional practice to supply chewing tobacco in a tin or container from which the user may select a given amount by employing his fingers. Customarily, the user will open the bulk container and extract a certain amount of the tobacco, which is semihard, with his fingers and place the selected amount into his mouth. Although such a procedure has been satisfactory for a number of years, obvious difficulties and problems have arisen which reside in the fact that the user's fingers must be used.
Among the difficulties, it is noted that the tobacco product stains the fingers of the user as well as collects under the fingernails. Also, the fingers become moist when placed in the mouth which is unsanitary and requires the user to dry the fingers in some manner. Generally, the user does not select the same amount of tobacco product each time a desired amount is extracted from the bulk supply so that repeated taking of amounts of tobacco from the bulk is required.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed to provide a plug cutter and loader which is automatic in operation such that the user may separate a given quantity of product from bulk tobacco and which also may be used to feed the selected amount of product into the mouth of the user without the fingers entering the mouth.